Position light for aircraft



Jan. 8 1924.

A. LURIA POSITION LIGHT FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 27. 1921 Patented Jan. 8, 1 924.

ARISTIDE LURIA, OF ROME, ITALY.

POSITION LIGHT FOR AIRCRAFT.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 525,150.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anrs'rmn LURIA, a subject of the King of Italy, and resident of Rome, Italy, have invented certain new and a useful Improvements in Position Lights for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

It is known that aircraft must be provided with position lights adapted to disclose their presence and position in night time and in foggy weather both to observers on the ground or sea and to persons on other aircraft. 1 p

More particularly according to the rules dependin upon the Internatlonal Convention for Eerial Navigation an aircraft must be provided with a fore white light, a right side green light, a left side red light, a white after or stern light, and a lower white light adapted for transmitting messages by optical telegraph; and further each of Said lights must bearranged to produce a light beam in a given directiOn and at a given an le.

Ihe present invention relates to lights of the above described kind and has for its object a construction of the same which is particularly useful in connection with use on aircraft for the above purpose.

On the annexed drawing Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a construction of light according to this invention; Figure 2 is a side view'of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4: is a central vertical section of a modified construction; Figure 5 is a side .view and Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6, both of Figure 4.

In the construction shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3 the device is adapted to produce a light fan extending through a desired angle around its vertical axis and also ,under it. In this construction the light comprises a support 1, which is adapted to be hung to any suitable part of the aircraft, and a top hood or reflector 2 to which is fastened a casing 3- extending through a given angle around the vertical axis of the light and having a spherical bottom portion 3 which reaches the central axis of the light. Said casing carries an edge flange 4 providing an abutment for the glass portion of the light and has an opening closed by a door 5 which is secured to said casing by means of pins (3 engagin registering eyes 19-19 on the door an casing.

Under the reflector 2 is located an optical system which comprises a half prismatic lens drum; as shown on the annexed drawing; said drum comprising one half of a so complete Fresnels system, that is, a half cylindrical lens 7, and, cylindrical prisms 7', having omitted'the other half of the lens and the prisms, which, in Fig. 1, would be symmetrical with respect to the section line 3--3. Beneath is positioned a glass globe 8.

The source of light consists of an electric incandescent lamp 9 whose socket 10 is supported by a transverse bar 11 connected to a ring-11 which is fastened to the support 1.

In the construction of Figures 1, 2 and 3 the half Fresnel drum extends substantially 180 around the vertical axis of the lamp 9, its edges abutting against the flanges 4, an intermediate soft l1ning12 being pro- 7 vided.

By the described apparatusthere is ob tained a light fan extending, vertically through the space lying under the reflector 2 and between two planes intersecting along the vertical axis of the light one including the inclined face of the uppermost Fresnel prism 7; and the other including the vertical axis of the lamp, and the edges of'casing 3, the angle horizontally illuminated being shown by -A in Figure 3. Thus the light is visible to any observer located within this solid angle Whether on the ground, on sea, or on another aircraft.

Figures 4,- 5 and 6 show a construction similar to that above described, but having a half Fresnel drum extending throughout an entire circumference, a transverse section of the drum being the same as in Figures 1-3.

This construction comprises a support 1', a hood2, and a lam 9 with supporting parts 10 and 11 as described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3, but Without a metal casing 3. For the purpose of removing and in specting the lamp 9 a lower globe 8 is suported by a frame comprising a ring 13 and bars 14, said ring being hinged at 15 to a similar ring 16 which is supported by corrugated rods or ties 17 fastened to the top ring 11. A swing bolt 18 is provided for clamping the globe and its supporting parts in position. A light of this construction is visible throughout the entire space around and under it.

In both the described constructions it is 4 important that the Fresnel mitred drum shall extend from above a horizontal plane passing substantially through the centre of the source of light, upto the reflector or hood, as by this arrangement all the upwardly directed rays which would otherwise be lost, are deviated and directed horizontally, thus increasing the distance from which the light could otherwise be perceived. and permitting use of a comparatively Weak source of light.

As a source of light there is preferably used an incandescent electric lamp; the bulb of the lamp beingmade of any desiredcolor for producing a colored light fan, or it may be provided With a colored transparent screen or coating.

'W hat ll claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 152* A position light for aircraft comprising i a frame having suspension means, a reflecnmasea tor beneath said frame, a source of light beneath said reflector and an envelope encircling said source of light and connected to said frame, said envelope comprising a segment of an annular lens section positioned substantially at the level of and concentric with said light source and segments of annular prismatic drum lens sections located intermediate said first named lens section and said reflector, and substantially concentric with said light source, a segment of lower transparent screen and an opaque screen for completing said envelope.

Signed at Rome, ta-ly, this 29th day of November, A. D. 1921.

. aiaisrinn Lnnni.

Witnesses GIAsoN S. BIYZARRE, ALBERTO PIOMBAUT. 

